KemPharm And The Curious Case Of Launching A Brand Opioid Like A Generic

KemPharm Inc. is preparing to launch its first commercial drug, the new branded opioid Apadaz (benzhydrocodone/acetaminophen), but is looking to sign a generic drug partner to do it and to follow a generic drug model. The company's commercial pivot to selling Apadaz – an immediate-release opioid with abuse-deterrent properties – at an equivalent price as the existing generic says a lot about how the commercial promise of opioids with abuse-deterrent properties has failed to deliver and how commercializing a new opioid successfully may require out-of-the-box thinking.

The strategy to partner with a generic drug company for the launch is a bit of a last resort effort for KemPharm after Apadaz was approved by the US FDA Feb. 23, but without an abuse-deterrent claim